Guy Gilchrist knows that he’s a lucky man and he’s been blessed by God. ““I’ve been fortunate enough that every dream I really had came true,” he said. Many people know Gilchrist best for being a professional cartoonist, working on the Muppets comic strip and his Nancy comic strip is still syndicated in newspapers across the country. He said most people weren’t aware that he’s been writing songs since he was a teenager.  

   Gilchrist said he’s been drawing for money since about age five. At that time, he was drawing and other kids at school asked him to draw something for them. He did drawings for the kids in exchange for their milk money. Gilchrist started selling his artwork when he was 10 or 12 years old, adding that he would buy records and pizza with anything he got.   He met Randy Plude in high school and they began writing songs. Gilchrist said one of those songs broke the Billboard Top 100. After that happened, they were getting holds by artists such as George Strait, The Judds and Jerry Lee Lewis. “There was this time where I wasn’t sure if I was going to draw and write or write and sing,”

   Gilchrist said.   That decision was made a little easier soon after when Jim Henson, who created the Muppets, hired him to do the Muppet comic strip. “I’ve gotten the chance to work on some of the greatest characters the world has ever known,” he said. In addition to the Muppet comic strip, he worked on the Rock Channel comic strip along with his brother Brad and Greg Walker of Beetle Bailey fame. He has also written 48 books over the years. Gilchrist said one of the most frequent questions he’s asked is how he finds time to do everything. His answer is simple – he sets deadlines for himself. “You have to create deadlines. If you do that, you will get it done.”

   Gilchrist added that once you are a success, the only hard part is to keep it up. He said he’s always on deadline in his brain. If there is a tragedy or a death in the family, he immediately knows that he needs to sit down and do enough Nancy comic strips for a week because the newspapers publish every day. "It's difficult to sometimes write something funny or uplifting when you, yourself are going through tough times, but you have to put those emotions of yours away in a compartment awhile, and do your job. Whether it's a joke in a strip, or a song with a funny line...I know it's my job, and a great blessing to be the guy who lifts someone else up when THEY are down. So, I concentrate on that. Being THAT for someone on down the line. Then, I deal with my life afterwards." 

   Gilchrist said one of the best things about his work is that he gets the opportunity to give something to people every day. He also likes to give back. In fact, he started a school and ran it for five years, and even had a Web site where they could have lessons on the Internet. “I still correct kids’ artwork when they send it to me on the Web.”Gilchrist moved to Nashville and he’s now working on music, writing songs and playing songwriter nights. He said he wasn’t thinking about the charts or anything. He said he has had a full life, but he still had some things he wanted to say. He currently has two EPs that are available on music Web sites such as ITunes and Napster. There is a video for one of his songs, “Jim Beam Me Up Scotty,” on You Tube and it features Gilchrist’s artwork. The video has received over 2,000 views. There’s also a single on ITunes called “Merry Christmas, Sluggo.”

   Fans of his Nancy comic strip will recognize the name as one of the character’s from the comic strip. United Features owns the Nancy comic strip and he said they didn’t ask for anything to use Sluggo’s name knowing that part of the money made from the song will go to Boystown. Gilchrist is having a CD release party at the Listening Room in Nashville on Nov. 18 between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.  The CD will feature two Christmas songs, “Merry Christmas, Sluggo” and “Christmas Light.” Proceeds from the sale of the CD and publishing royalities will go to Boystown, a beacon of hope for children for almost a century. Gilchrist sites Johnny Cash as a huge influence on him. That influence is clear when listening to “Merry Christmas, Sluggo,” which is subtitled “San Quentin School For Boys.”

   Gilchrist calls Cash’s “Johnny Cash – Live at San Quentin” a record that changed his life. “There’s so much on the record. Laughter, anger, sin and redemption. If you want the whole Bible on a record, listen to that record,” he said.    Though the CD contains two Christmas songs, he hinted that it may turn into a full-length Christmas CD at some point.  “Christmas is my very favorite time of year,” Gilchrist said. "I hope it has you laughing, dancing, and feeling good!! I hope it brings back memories of being a little kid trying to get from Santa's "Naughty" list to his "Nice" list before Christmas morning! "Merry Christmas, Sluggo" dedicated to those who helped to turn my life around...Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, My Cartoonist Heroes..Santa Claus.....and God."